State Capitol Q&A: Protesters flood statehouse in support of service providers

Andrew Thomason

Tuesday

Jun 23, 2009 at 12:01 AMJun 23, 2009 at 10:22 PM

Illinois lawmakers were met by a tsunami of protesters Tuesday as they returned to the Capitol for a special session. This week's State Capitol Q&A takes a closer look at the protest and its message.

Illinois lawmakers were met by a tsunami of protesters Tuesday as they returned to the Capitol for a special session.

As July 1, the start of a new fiscal year, rapidly approaches, lawmakers are back in Springfield being asked to prevent huge spending cuts forced by billions of dollars in money shortages.

Gov. Pat Quinn's office warns that if nothing is done to fill the gap, 10,000 state workers and up to 100,000 employees of social service agencies could be handed pink slips, and more than 140,000 children could lose childcare.

This week's State Capitol Q&A takes a closer look at the protest and its message.

Q: Who were the protesters?

A: They ran the spectrum, from social services supporter to workers and clients. Whether it is fiscal or emotional, all had strong connections to social and human services that face deep cuts.

Q: What was their mission?

A: Those in attendance said they hoped to convince the legislature to vote in favor of raising taxes in order to fully fund social services throughout the state. Many attendees' said their livelihoods depend on state funds.

Debbie Foster provides child care for six children in Rockford. If the current budget becomes law, Fosters says she "won't have a job. I don't pay into unemployment and all my kids are state-funded so I won't have job at all."

Addus HealthCare worker Nellie Logan of Springfield also fears losing her job if the cuts go through. Logan says that if her organization's funding is cut, so will the clients' services and so will her and others' hours.

"I hope the legislators are listening," Logan said "We've been making phone calls and lobbying and lobbying."

Q: How many people were there?

A: An exact number couldn't be calculated. But the crowd easily topped 5,000 according to Henry Haupt, spokesman for Secretary of State Jesse White. At one point, Capitol police stopped letting protesters in because of safety concerns, and at least one person was wheeled off for a medical emergency before even entering the building.

Q: What exactly did the 5,000 protesters do?

A: People listened to more than 70 people speak in the Capitol rotunda about how their programs would be ravaged by cuts. Protesters sounded their approval of each speaker and disapproval of the budget situation with noisemakers, tambourines, whistles and chants such as "Just fix it!"

Quinn even made an appearance. In between deafening cheers, Quinn gave assurances like delivering "a budget that makes sure human services are provided to the good, hard-working people of the state of Illinois."

Before entering the Capitol, many protesters gathered outside along a nearby street, where they started a march that went from Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office to the state Republican Party office and back to the Capitol. At several different times, traffic was backed up on the busy downtown Second Street while long lines of people streamed across the road.

Following the main rally, people were encouraged to try and meet face-to-face with individual lawmakers.

Q: Was it a success?

A: Just the sheer number of people at the Capitol was impossible to not notice.

Whether the protesters' message will sway lawmakers is still yet to be determined.

But the idea that "people don't listen to rallies, it is just a bunch of people making noise, that's not true," according to Sen. Mattie Hunter, D-Chicago, who spoke at the rally.

Q: What comes next?

A: It all depends on what the legislature does over the next few days. Service providers said they would continue to lobby individual lawmakers. If there is no agreement reached to fully fund social services, the e-mails, phone calls and rallies will continue, said Sara Moscato Howe, CEO of the Illinois Alcohol and Drug Dependence Association and an organizer of Tuesday's rally.

"If we need to top it with 10,000 people next time, if (legislators) don't fix it this week, we will. We'll continue doing it until they hear us," Howe said.

Andrew Thomason can be reached at (217) 782-6882 or andrew.thomason@sj-r.com.

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